


Forsythia

by Mariyannu



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: AU, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Drama, Established Relationship, Flower Language, Hanahaki Disease, I'm sorry for making Daisuke suffer so much, Multi, OT3, One-Sided Attraction, Open to Interpretation, Queerplatonic Relationships, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Unrequited Love, for kenyako tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 05:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12028896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariyannu/pseuds/Mariyannu
Summary: When the first flower petal fell from Daisuke's lips, he knew that love comes without further warning.





	Forsythia

Forbidden looks. A sweet and tender friction filled with temptation, passion and desire. He couldn’t hold his inner desire to feel those hands. The electric, sparkling, sensation that ran throughout his body was gratifying. And knowing, in the darkest corner of his heart, that it’s perfectly okay but at the same time prohibited, was enough to raise up unknown and hidden passions he never thought himself capable of feeling. He didn’t care at all if others saw him as an extra character or even a third wheel. He knew that what he had at the moment was enough to please him. That _that_ was _clearly enough_. To know that he knows much more than everyone else; that their perceptions were wrong and guided by rumours and speculations based on nothing more and nothing less than what society dictates. That's why Daisuke believed that it would be all right if he agreed to it. That everything would work out. That it was just a secret. A simple secret that he had to endure and chew and chew and chew and chew and swallow with a tasteless flavor.

He liked it.

He enjoyed it.

It overjoyed him.

That is why, when the first petal fell from the corner of his broken lips, it was hard to hold the sensation at bay even though it had swiftly perished. That silky feeling that comes from your trachea to your tongue; reflux; eyes filled with tears by the force that his body used to throw the following:

A lilac.

A forget-me-not.

This time, they were two and not just one. It had always been one single type of flower. Why the sudden change? They continued to grow and multiply inside of him. He feared that his stomach would not hold out any longer if their spreading was kept at this pacing and rate.

He wiped the saliva with his elbow, the texture of the petals still lingering on his tongue. Vomiting flowers wasn’t something he thought he’d suffer during his life but, he would rather endure the sense of pain whenever it happened than reaching out to the only existing cure which, even if he had two possible alternatives for, it was still extremely painful. Thus, when he saw Miyako forcibly enter the men's restroom no matter how much Ken blocked her the entrance, Daisuke knew he couldn’t hide it any longer. The rainfall of petals continued around a single toilet with an opened door. The burgundy haired boy looked down at the floor, not saying a single word, even if his usual personality wanted to say something about it and explain himself, alluding it as a _misunderstanding_ or a spooky coincidence.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this…?” Those were the only words that came out of Ken's mouth. “That one day you came to study at my place you made a convincing lie but nevertheless it was highly unusual coming from you.”

“And spread unnecessary panic and end up worrying you for nothing? I really did have a bouquet in my school bag that day. I wasn’t lying at all!”

“Daisuke, there were enough petals to make a bouquet of _violets_ that day, please.” Miyako gently picked up the petals, drowning into an unexpected trance. “This time, however… a lilac _and_ a forget-me-not...”

“Y’know, guys? I think it’s better to take this conversation somewhere else, we are in the men’s bathroom after all and Miyako’s a girl. Add that she isn’t completely alone and instead with two guys, those being you and me, Ken, it wouldn’t look good at all especially for her, am I right?” Smiling, Daisuke stretched his hands and pushed them, not even caring about where he was grabbing them while doing so. “Go, go!”

"Daisuke, stop pushing… and look where you're touching!" Miyako was clearly upset.

“Aw c’mon, I’m pretty sure Ken touches your breasts on a daily basis!”

“If the flowers don’t kill you first… mark my words, I will be the one who does it.”

Ken just sighed, believing that his intervention would make things worse.

 ❁  ❁  ❁ 

Hikari was daydreaming.

Sitting under the branches of a really old tree, an atmosphere full of magic and mysticism absorbed her insides as she held her emotions under control. The sunlight, small sunlight that caressed her skin under the broken branches was enough to snap her back to reality. She liked Takeru's company. She always had him by his side; together. Still, there was something many people did not understand. They were friends but _more than_ friends. Both, hands intertwined, shoulder to shoulder, enjoyed the spring breeze rocking among the peach tree branches. A petal falls on top of Hikari's skirt, causing her to open her eyes for a fleeting instant, while scooping said petal gently with her left hand.

“I am your captive… huh.”

“Did you say something?” Takeru woke up, stretching both arms out in the air after releasing the palm that was united with Hikari’s. He yawned and a pair of tears formed in his eyes since he had been holding it in for a while. “Something about a… captive?”

"You see, lately I’ve been reading about the language of flowers. You know, _hanakotoba_.” She played with the petal, from one palm to the other. “And I remembered that the meaning of a peach blossom was longevity and somewhat around the lines of _I am your captive_.”

"Flowers are powerful, both in words and against life. In a nutshell: we are all like a flower, which, if it doesn’t receive the right care it can perish but, if we have a strong survival instinct we can make it out of the greatest storm.”

"Of course. Although, we mustn’t forget that we also have our own thorns."

The petal flew from Hikari's hands, returning to the dancing wind.

"You feel the same way as I do. You should know, Takeru. It's not just me.”

Takeru embraced her from behind, that unusual and powerful union they had becoming evident. Hikari was comfortable enough and said no more. There was a bit of cold wind and Takeru's body was perfect for shelter. Once the strange murmurs reached her ears, she hesitated for a second; he felt it and hugged her tighter.

_They don’t know. They don’t understand. They don’t know._

 ❁  ❁  ❁ 

This time, he couldn’t restrain himself and did his best not to make a scandal in the middle of the hall. He pretended it was a coughing fit and he kidnapped a handkerchief from Miyako without permission, earning a scream, a blow on the back and a sermon from Ken. Except that, once he saw a petal fall from his pale lips, the two looked at each other with complicity to get Daisuke out of there. Miyako wondered if Daisuke had seen something to have another attack, so then, when she saw through the window, she knew she had been a fool to even doubt it.

Hikari and Takeru were hugging under the old peach tree.

Ken took notion of Miyako’s silent voice and quickly pushed Daisuke away from all the curious eyes that had gathered around them. The lavender hair coloured girl gathered as quietly and quickly as possible all the petals that had fallen to the ground to raise no suspicion.

"Violets again!" But her own voice betrayed her.

"Do you need anything, Inoue?"

From the crowd, a very curious girl came out.

"No, not at all, Sumire!" Miyako picked carefully the remaining petals without being caught by her upperclassman and drew back slowly.

"I thought you did, since you said my name out loud… I'm sorry if I misunderstood it.”

Miyako ran after a quick goodbye and again made a mental note not to raise her voice so much. Once she reached the others, she knew she had to confront Daisuke.

Ken made contact with her amber eyes and immediately bit his lower lip.

Oh, Miyako understood everything now.

She always recognized what that gesture meant.

Ken knew and she did not.

Ah, _that_ , she could never forgive it.

"What are you hiding from me? It must be something serious which means you _do_ _know_ that I will end up giving the both of you a pretty strong and long lecture. And no, Daisuke, you won’t save yourself by giving me a clean and new handkerchief. Now, continue using it since you still have some saliva with blood at the corner of your lips.”

Daisuke did so without a word. He knew the odds weren’t in his favour.

Miyako adjusted her glasses and, unintentionally, looked down to see that in the shower of petals that Ken tried to clean there were thorns.

"Roses are very dangerous." Daisuke dared to say with a bright smile on his tanned face.

"Red, White, Yellow, Pink, Coral..." Ken gulped for a moment. “You…”

“Before both of you ask… spoiler alert: all the roses had the same flavour so if they ever offer you tea of white roses you won’t be missing a whole lot since it is just like a normal rose tea. Like, knowing Miyako she might try to order something so extravagant for your wedding day.”

Without a second thought, she held him by the collar of his shirt and placed him against the wall. The glasses girl knew she did not have much strength but she had to take advantage of the inner discomfort and frustration that welled up inside of her.

"Ken knows what’s going on, and I'm not leaving here without an answer, Motomiya." With a brief pause, she took a deep breath. “Who? Who is it?”

"Who's who?”

“Daisuke, this isn’t time for jokes, please ans…”

“The two of them.”

Silence.

There was only silence.

A silence so pure but at the same time obscure absorbed the empty corridor they were using as a hideout.

“Hikari and Takeru.”

Miyako released him. All her force was gone in seconds. And then she recomposed herself in milliseconds.

“Do you even know how impossible it is?!”

“I know! I perfectly know this…!”

"True love, devotion and secrecy, envy, desire and grace, passion..." Ken took Miyako's hands. “All these emotions explode within Daisuke even though he knows it’s... impossible.”

"Believe me. I'd rather die drowned in flower petals than... to do an operation.” A vague smile formed on his lips. “This disease’s insane, don’tcha think?”

"Abandon all the love you felt towards that special person since it’s an unrequited love and succumb to an operation... or, instead, hope that one day they’ll correspond you, being this scenario a 0.01%." Ken crossed his arms in resignation.

“That’s absurd and stupid! I will not let a silly disease be the cause of your own self destruction. Who am I supposed to discuss with every day? Huh?" Miyako cleared her throat. “Now, you have to think of a solution. This gets worse and worse by every passing second. And even more by now knowing that you have decided to give up and that you, Ken Ichijouji, hid it from me as well! What became of that rule that there are no secrets between the two? What about our honesty pact and all that jazz?”

"I asked him to keep quiet. Knowing you, I was convinced you'd look like and act like beast." Daisuke added a charismatic laugh.

"Humph! And I haven’t even started. You’ll see. Ah, yes, you’ll see my true wrath later.”

Laughter was heard in the sunset, and these disappeared among the crowd of students who gradually filled their hiding place in where explanations and words that flourished from the bottom of a damaged and broken heart were born.

 ❁  ❁  ❁ 

Hikari, Takeru and Daisuke. It has always been them, and always will be them. Either sunk in misery, or embraced during an adversity... until the rumours began and circulated without a way to stop them. Hikari and Takeru knew this very well. It got out of hand, they didn’t pay the necessary attention. It had always been like this at school. Everyone always thought that Hikari and Takeru were meant for each other, since they were children and even now as teenagers. What the others didn’t know was the fact that they never saw each other with _those eyes_. Those _eyes_ that others sensed they had. _Those eyes_. That _look_ that couples threw at each other.

_「Soulmates.」_

They preferred that term more than any other. Two souls that are meant to be together not in a romantic way. A spiritual connection, deep and intimate that does not reach the romantic level. Gentle hand touches, being together, hugs, caresses that go beyond the limits of friendship but are _no more_ than a friendship. Hikari would never feel sexual attraction towards Takeru, it was not her thing. She had never felt anything at all; nevertheless, that connection was special and they decided to leave it like platonic.

_「A platonic relationship.」_

They love each other as if they were a couple, but there is no romance nor sexual tension.

This connection they have exceeds the limits of what is known as traditional nowadays.

Partners for life.

If they had to describe it, it would be like going back in time to being children again and pretending that two cans of milk were phones, attached together with a rope that goes from one window to another. Sitting down, communicating in the middle of a starry night. A warm and special complicity.

It was a _peculiar affective relationship_.

They knew, anyway, that other people paired them up. They saw them act this way and went directly to the dating assumption. Hikari and Takeru ignored the comments and rumours, without denying them nor verifying them by not caring too much about what others said.

_They don’t know. They don’t understand. They don’t know._

_They’ll never understand, being like this, that this is a very special bond._

But everything went out of control by not noticing that in that particular relationship of two, there was one more person that was labeled as the third wheel.

 ❁  ❁  ❁ 

Daisuke had no clue as to when it was that he began to like Takeru. He always knew he was in love with Hikari, madly in love even, there was no doubt about it. Until now he _still_ was and that was why he understood that what he felt inside his heart towards the brunette was exactly the same he felt towards the blonde. It was then when the flowers began to sprout. It became more intense each time he saw them both being happy, making gestures and things that he considered _stuff a couple usually do_. He thought he had been abandoned and tossed aside.

A castaway.

He went to a place far away, so far away, that it was unnecessary to go to him and say _: hey, Daisuke, we're a couple now so we don’t need you anymore. Your company is sickening and frankly, it’s uncomfortable to be all lovey-dovey when you’re near._

Maybe they felt sorry for him.

Yes, that should be it.

They felt sorry for him and that's why they didn’t say anything to him.

Thus he decided to walk away and give them privacy by his own accord.

But the flowers persisted, and their volume increased more and more.

He knew it was unrequited.

He wanted to confirm it was, but he wasn’t brave enough; the flower petals kept on falling through his mouth.

The taxes of this affection raise this anguishing cup of bitterness.

“And? What’s your plan now?”

"Going to eat some ramen after school with Ken, Miyako. And you, young lady, aren’t invited.”

He lied.

"Stop stealing my boyfriend."

Was all she replied, knowing it was a lie.

School’s over.

Daisuke walked and walked, with that question damaging his mind like the thorns of roses that he vomited said afternoon. His mind was blank. He wanted to confirm it; to say: _I love Hikari and Takeru_. But no, he could not. He was incapable.

His emotions were as far-reaching as the incomprehensible relationship between Hikari and Takeru.

Therefore, when the petal of a _sweet pea_ as well as a _forget-me-not_ came out from his lips, he knew his answer.

He knew what he should do.

Daisuke made his choice.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank Stella for proof reading this story before it was published!
> 
> This one-shot is was originally written in Spanish by me as well, and it was a ride translating it into English. Without much further ado, here are the flower meanings.
> 
> ❁ Forsythia: anticipation. It also stands for reliability in that it is able to withstand much hardship.  
> ❁ Forget-me-not: true love.  
> ❁ Violet: please, love me. In Japanese, a violet is called Sumire, hence why the girl thought Miyako was calling out to her.  
> ❁ Peach Flower: longevity. It also stands for "I am your captive".  
> ❁ Red Rose: true love.  
> ❁ White Rose: devotion and secrecy.  
> ❁ Yellow Rose: envy.  
> ❁ Pink Rose: desire and grace.  
> ❁ Coral Rose: passion.  
> ❁ Sweet Pea: goodbye. It also means blissfulness and "thank you for everything".
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!
> 
> PD: The ending is open to interpretation.


End file.
